McCormick Cattle Dipping Vat

Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI) completed a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and Contamination Assessment for the property located along northern St. Johns County and southern Duval County, Florida.

The site comprises over 400 acres of undeveloped farm/pastureland and several barns, silos, cattle pens and other small structures, which are in use today. Historically, the site had been used as a cattle ranch since the 1940s, with ranch operations ceasing in the late 1990s.

Past use of petroleum underground storage tanks, oils and potentially hazardous substances, and a cattle dipping vat were identified. The objectives of the Phase II ESA and Contamination Assessment were to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of contamination in soils and groundwater from the existing cattle dipping vat. The cattle dipping vat was used from the early 1900s to the early 1970s for the eradication of the cattle fever tick in Florida.

ESI installed a total of 52 soil borings from ground surface to 24-feet below grade. Soil borings were installed by either a 3.0-inch diameter stainless steel hand auger or by direct push technology. Soil borings were located at the grid nodal points using the centerline of the cattle dipping vat as the orientation baseline. ESI collected a total of 152 soil and 132 groundwater samples in order to delineate organochlorine pesticide impacts. Results indicated organochlorine pesticide impacts to on-site soils and groundwater exceeding applicable regulatory. More than 9,300 tons of impacted soils and 9.36 M gallons of contaminated groundwater were delineated and a cost proposal was drafted for the proper removal and remediation of the on-site soils and groundwater.

ESI designed a Remedial Action Plan utilizing source removal by excavation of impacted soils and extensive direct push injection of Metals Release Compound (MRC) in order to irreversibly remove dissolved arsenic from groundwater in the form of an organosulfur complex.